2915

 

II*  

Designated  

01/03/1963  

24/04/2003  

Church of Saint Peter  

 

Torfaen  

Henllys  

Cwmbran  

Henllys  

326771  

191038  

 

Situated in a rural location some 2.8km S of the old village at Henllys.  

Religious, Ritual and Funerary  

 

Anglican parish church, C14 and C15, first mentioned in C13 as belonging to the priory of Bassaleg, remaining a chapelry of Bassaleg until 1754 when the parish was established, though served by a curate from Bassaleg until the first rector was appointed in 1877, non-resident before 1898. Grants from Queen Anne's Bounty for repairs recorded 1735, 1756, 1787, 1810 and 1828. Restoration work in 1871-2 by E A Lansdown, including the boarded nave roof, cost £160. Repaired 1951 when the stone tiles were replaced with slate, walls scraped of plaster in 1970s with loss of wall paintings and furnishings reordered. Repairs 1990-1 including new tower W window and left window on nave S side. Another layer of floor slabs is said to have been found under nave floor. The nave is probably C14, the chancel C15, the S porch and tower possibly also C15.  

Parish church, purple rubble stone with traces of lime render and slate roofs, W tower, nave, chancel and S porch. Tower of 2 stages with battered base, NE polygonal stair turret, corbelled flat parapet, embattled only to stair turret. Large corner stones, moulded string course below parapet with 6 carved gargoyles and string course between stages. C19 renewed ashlar 2-light pointed bell-lights with hoodmoulds. C19 blocked moulded pointed W door with 2-colour voussoirs and big C19 3-light Perp. style W window with hoodmould and bicolour voussoirs, tracery renewed 1991. Small medieval rectangular chamfered opening on S side, 3 small loops to stair tower. Nave S has 2-light to left renewed 1991 possibly C17 with segment-headed lights, porch, and then 2 earlier C19 3-light ashlar windows, segmental-pointed with pointed heads to the 2 outer lights, leaving an untraceried broad centre light. Large S porch with coped gable and C19 cross finial, low chamfered Tudor arched entry with purple stone dressings and broach stops. Interior has flagstones, benches and flat ceiling. Plain chamfered pointed S door with C19 boarded door. Rendered nave E wall and nave N wall. N wall has eroded red stone 2-light pulpit window possibly C17 with segment-headed lights. Break in N wall midway. Chancel has battered base to walls. S side has ashlar blocked door, hollow-moulded with curved stop and fillet, stone voussoirs over, and ashlar C19 3-light S window, flat-headed with cusped lights. E end has traces of whitewash, large C19 ashlar 3-light window, perpendicular Gothic style with hoodmould and stone voussoirs. Chancel N is windowless.  

Interior whitewashed plastered nave, chancel scraped of plaster in later C20. Low C19 shallow-curved boarded nave roof with moulded ribs to 6 x 4 panels. Nave floor is paved with incised slabs. S door with stone voussoirs. Plastered low chancel arch with plastered beam above, possibly former rood beam, the walling stepped forward above the beam. Nave S windows, C19 insertions, have attractive clear leaded glazing. Deeply splayed reveals to N pulpit window and S font window. Tower arch plastered with Tudor arch over pointed chamfered arch dying into side piers. Tower has no ceiling, put-log holes to walls and pointed chamfered stair door with broach stops. Renewed W window has glazing of 1991 with keys of St Peter on shield. Chancel has C15 panelled barrel roof of 4 x 4 panels with moulded ribs and 9 carved bosses with leaf motifs. E window and S window have stone voussoirs, low blocked S door with stone voussoirs, infilled with shelf. The base of this door is said to be some 50mm (2 inches) lower than present floor level. On jambs of E window are scant remnants of wall painting. Fittings: Unusual tooled octagonal red granite font on circular stem, said to be C13. Plain panelled later C19 pulpit on octagonal base. Matching reading desk and pews. Benefaction board of 1809. Memorials: E wall eroding plaque to David Williams with oval and plant sprays, d 1809. Chancel N similar plaque with rustic floral drop and circle, to Edward Williams d 1808. S painted stone oval plaque with fans in spandrels to Mary Morgans d 1782 and Mary Harries d 1811. Eroding plaque to Mary Abraham c1815. Nave floor has incised grave slabs with dates from 1681 to 1753. Nave N eroding plaque to Mary John, plain shaped plaque to Mary Williams d 1800 and plaque to Adam Thomas d 1729. Bells: three, of c1350 Bristol-made, 1711 by E. Evans of Chepstow, and 1656 by John Palmer II of Gloucester.  

Graded II* as a largely medieval church with fine surviving chancel roof.